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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24033916">free</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/WinterXAssassin/pseuds/WinterXAssassin'>WinterXAssassin</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Fett Clan Archives [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Brotherly Love, Character Death Fix, Feels, Fix-It, Fuck Canon, Fuck Canon I Do What I Want, HERE'S THE FIX, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, Mando'a, Post Episode: s07e12 Victory and Death, Post-Order 66, Post-Season/Series Finale, and half of everyone else so, hardcase is also very not dead, his survival will be explained eventually, jesse is FINE he LIVES, kix doesn't get stolen, rex and ahsoka don't part ways!!!, the final ep WOUNDED me</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 15:08:38</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,080</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24033916</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/WinterXAssassin/pseuds/WinterXAssassin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>“You find us another craft. I’m getting Jesse!”</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>  <em>Enemy or not, trying to kill them or not, Rex won’t leave his brother behind. He won’t lose another, damn it. Not if he can help it. He will do everything in his power to save his vod’ika. No matter what it takes, no matter the cost. He won’t be able to live with himself if he doesn’t at least try.</em></p><p> </p><p>Or: Rex is a protective big bro, and he just wants Jesse to be free of the chip's control</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>CT-5597 | Jesse &amp; CT-7567 | Rex</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Fett Clan Archives [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1713670</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>135</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>free</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>A/N: So, we've all seen that final episode. What a tearjerker.<br/>Straight up as soon as I watched it, I began to write this (I was already planning on saving Jesse anyway, but I had no idea if he would die or not until that ep!)... and now I'm posting</p><p>I FIX THINGS OK</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Rex, where are you going?” Ahsoka calls after him, as he jogs down the hallway ahead of her, ignoring the opened hangar bays. She’s noticed his straight path, then, his purpose, the fact that he’s not bothering to check what few craft remain within their bays.</p><p>“You find us another craft. I’m getting Jesse!”</p><p>Enemy or not, trying to kill them or not, Rex <em>won’t</em> leave his brother behind. He won’t lose another, damn it. Not if he can help it. He will do everything in his power to save his <em>vod’ika</em>. No matter what it takes, no matter the cost. He won’t be able to live with himself if he doesn’t at least <em>try</em>.</p><p>Ahsoka doesn’t try to intervene. She knows that when Rex has his mind set on something, that it’s damn near impossible to make him change it. And in this, she knows, it’s not her place to interfere.</p><p>Rex grits his teeth, tries not to focus on his brothers laying there, helpless. They’re not dead, thank kriff for Ahsoka’s <em>earlier</em> intervention, yet he still cannot help but worry for them regardless. They’re <em>his</em> brothers, <em>his</em> men. They’re lost to Order 66 — there’s nothing he can do for them. But Jesse... Jesse’s a different story. He might be lost, but... Rex mentored him, damn it, watched him grow from a spiteful, surly cadet into a fierce and proud ARC trooper. And he owes it to Kix and Hardcase — Jesse’s last two batchmates — to <em>try</em> to save Jesse.</p><p>He knows all too well about the loss of batchmates, of what it does to a <em>vod</em>.</p><p>He scans each brother as he passes them by, seeing orange helmets, white helmets adorned with blue, and white helmets adorned with nothing at all. And there, finally, almost at the end of the hall, is Jesse. Already coming to, standing on a knee with a hand pressed to the side of his bucket, wobbling as he fights off the stun bolt.</p><p>
  <em>No chances.</em>
</p><p>Rex raises one of his DC-17s, still set to stun, watches as Jesse shakes off disorientation, meets his gaze in surprise. And he knows that as he fires, is that he will be the last one the ARC sees, for a long time.</p><p><em>One way to make Jess mad at me, to know that I’m the one dragging his sorry </em>shebs<em> outta here. Better he focuses his rage on me than on Ahsoka.</em></p><p>As the ARC topples and slumps to the ground, Rex catches him, lifts him up and hauls him over. Then he spins smartly on his heel, and <em>runs</em>.</p>
<hr/><p>Jesse comes to.</p><p>Or— no, he’s CT-5597 now. He doesn’t have a name anymore, just a number. But that’s okay, it doesn’t matter. Not when he’s serving a higher purpose now. Not when those who once called him by his name are dead, or soon about to be, labelled a traitor to.... to the....</p><p>It’s still the Galactic Republic, isn’t it? Or is it something else, now? He’s not yet been updated, but he’s sure that will happen soon.</p><p>Either way, it doesn’t matter. Not in this current moment, at least.</p><p>He shakes his head to dispel the last of the cloudiness in his mind, after effects of being shot repeatedly by stun bolts. The air is— And there, he stops. He shouldn’t feel the air against his face. Last he checked, he was wearing his helmet. Which means that someone’s taken it off. Which means.... Which means...</p><p>He frowns. He doesn’t know <em>what</em> it means. Not yet.</p><p>He tries to raise his hands, only to freeze, partway through the motion. His hands are bound, bright blue energy cuffs keeping his wrists linked together. The last time this had happened, he remembers... he remembers Maul at his back, hissing at him to return to his brothers...</p><p>His brothers.</p><p>He’d walked back to... back to... CT-7567— <em>Traitor! Traitor to Order 66! Eliminate CT-7567, along with Ahsoka Tano. They are traitors... And good soldiers follow orders. Good soldiers followorders. Goodsoldiers followordersgoodsoldiersfollowordersgoodsoldiers</em>—</p><p>CT-7567 drops into his field of view. His face, too, is bare, his bucket elsewhere. His brown eyes are full of concern, eyebrows furrowed. He looks like he wants to say something, but he can’t bring himself to speak.</p><p>Fury rips through his veins, sharp and hot like a blaster bolt to the back. The— <em>traitorCommanderfriendbrother</em> — is staring at him, and all he wants to do is follow his orders, to comply, but he can’t kriffing use his hands.</p><p>CT-5597’s lips curl back into a snarl, and then, he <em>howls</em>. </p><p><em>Good soldiers follow orders. Eliminate CT-7567. Eliminate the traitor. Kill! Kill kill kill kill</em>—</p><p>“<em>Quiet</em>, soldier. That’s enough.” the — CaptainCommandertraitor — growls in Mando’a, and the tone, and the language, are enough to give 5597 pause. He stares at 7567 with <em>hate</em> burning in his eyes, lips still peeled back from his teeth in a silent snarl, but the howling has ceased.</p><p>What does this traitor <em>want</em>?</p><p>“Listen to me.” </p><p>7567 drops to a crouch, meets his gaze levelly. He’s still speaking in that tongue, the one that the Clones adopted into so long ago, and somehow, somehow it is enough to keep 5597’s attention upon him. He waits, silent, seething, and 7567 continues.</p><p>“This isn’t you. This is bigger than either of us. And I am going to help you, I am going to free you. But you must not fight me. Do you understand this?”</p><p>5597 blinks.</p><p><em>What</em>.</p><p>Has 7567 gone mad? Is he... worse than a traitor... is he <em>defective</em>? He knows, he knows, that 7567 is smarter than this. Surely the other Clone isn’t enough of a blind fool to <em>hope</em> that 5597 will shut down and Jesse will return to him. Surely the other Clone won’t simply <em>trust</em> him not to attack?</p><p>“<em>Di’kut</em>,” 5597 grinds out, and at that, 7567 huffs a quiet laugh. </p><p>“Yeah, maybe I am,” he concedes, this time in Basic, “Maybe I am. But I guess I’m enough of a <em>di’kut</em> not to give up on one of my <em>vod’ika</em>.”</p><p><em>No. No, not anymore. Not anymore. You’re a traitor. You’re an enemy. Good soldiers follow orders. Good soldiers follow orders. Kill the Jedi. Kill those who will not comply with Order 66. Good soldiers follow orders. Kill the Jedi and those who will not comply with Order 66</em>.</p><p>5597 scoffs, shakes his head. “<em>Auretii</em>.” he spits darkly. “<em>Auretii</em>, <em>auretii</em>, <em>auretii</em>.”</p><p>The smirk that the other Clone gives him is sad, solemn. “Maybe I am a traitor, too,” he murmurs, “But at least I’m <em>free</em>.”</p><p>Some small part of his mind, a part that he thought was buried, muses, <em>I wonder what that’s like</em>. And then, just as quickly as the thought appears, it’s washed away by the ever continual mantra of <em>good soldiers follow orders kill the Jedi and all those who refuse to comply with Order 66</em>.</p><p>And then, and then, the last thing he sees once again is 7567’s face, before his whole world turns black.</p>
<hr/><p>He doesn’t know how much time has passed when he wakes again.</p><p>But one thing he knows for certain, is that he’s no longer CT-5597. He is once again Jesse, ARC trooper, batchmate to Hardcase and Kix, <em>vod’ika</em> to Rex, and—</p><p><em>Rex</em>.</p><p>As his vision swims into focus, he notices that his <em>ori’vod</em> is perched on the edge of the bed he lies on, hands clasped in his lap and a pensive expression on his features. He doesn’t seem to have noticed that Jesse has stirred to consciousness... the ARC doesn’t know if that’s a good thing, or bad. He doesn’t know how long it’s been since he was out; doesn’t know how long Rex has been waiting for him. In fact, he doesn’t even know why he was out in in the first place. </p><p>But if anyone has all of the answers, it’ll be his Captain.</p><p>“Rex?” He pushes himself to sit upright, propped up on his elbows. “What’s happened?”</p><p>The other Clone twitches with surprise, turns to face him. Relief breaks over his features like a wave, and he reaches out to clasp one of Jesse’s hands. “<em>Ner vod’ika</em>,” he says softly, “Welcome back.”</p><p><em>Welcome back</em>? For a brief moment, panic rises in Jesse’s chest like bile, but then, like he’s been reset, he <em>remembers</em>. His hand squeezes Rex’s tightly, and he chokes out a sob, vision blurring with tears. He remembers it all, now. Remembers the chip going active, remembers that... that <em>thing</em> taking over, remembers being told that he was to execute Ahsoka Tano and Commander...</p><p>No, but Rex isn’t a Commander anymore, is he? Jesse demoted him. He remembers that, too. Remembers ordering his men to fire on the Captain, and Ahsoka.... Remembers rushing through the bowels of the <em>Venator</em>... Remembers Rex raising one of his blasters, firing a stun bolt into his chest. Remembers waking up, bound in energy cuffs, remembers snarling, seething...</p><p><em>Auretii. Auretii, auretii, auretii</em>.</p><p>The words flash to the forefront of his mind, and Jesse can’t help but wince. He may not have been in his right mind, may not have been <em>himself</em>, but he’d called Rex a traitor and meant it. The guilt from that will settle in his chest, and fester, until something else takes its place.</p><p>“Jess.” Rex shifts closer, presses his forehead against the ARC’s. “Hey, it’s okay, Jess. Let it out.” His hands gently cradle Jesse’s face; Jesse wraps his hands around Rex’s wrists. He can’t let go — doesn’t <em>want</em> to let go. He needs that physical anchor, right now, to hold him in the present. He doesn’t want to get lost in the swirling storm that is his mind. </p><p>“I-I’m so sorry, Rex.” His voice trembles, and he closes his eyes, feels the tears spill down his cheeks. “I never meant to do any of that, but I couldn’t control myself. I-I-It’s like I was... like I was no longer myself at all. I just felt like a karking <em>number</em>.” Another choked sob escapes him. “And yet there was enough of me left in there to call you a... call you a traitor not only in Basic, but in Mando’a, too, and <em>kriff</em>, that just hurts <em>worse</em>. If it had just been the Basic, it wouldn’t be so bad, but having said it in Mando’a makes it all hurt so much worse.”</p><p>Jesse doesn’t realize he’s shaking until Rex lets go of his face, and chooses to wrap his arms around the ARC’s shoulders instead. His breathing’s gone funny, a little <em>hitch</em> every now and then, and kark it all, he’s so close to falling apart. But he just— He <em>can’t</em>, because something’s <em>stuck</em>, and he feels like he’s trapped and there’s nothing he can do to get free.</p><p>“Shh,” Rex hushes gently, cradles Jesse against his chest despite the awkward position it puts him in. “Shh, <em>ner vod’ika</em>.”</p><p>Another sob, and his breathing goes ragged. Why won’t.... why won’t <em>it</em> dislodge from his chest? Why can’t he just <em>let go</em>, like Rex is telling him he should? Something’s missing, and he doesn’t know what it is.</p><p><em>Kix. Hardcase</em>.</p><p>The names filter into his mind, and then he realizes he hasn’t seen either of them for <em>hours</em>, if not longer. He doesn’t know what happened to them. Hardcase, he hasn’t seen since the siege ended. And Kix... Kix vanished even <em>before</em> that. Kriff, he misses his batchmates... and that’s when he knows what <em>it</em> is. His batchmates aren’t here, and Rex hasn’t given him an update as to their whereabouts.</p><p>“Where’s...” He struggles to speak, wading through a swirl of emotions, “Where’s Kix? Hardcase?”</p><p>“They’re safe, don’t worry.” His <em>ori’vod</em> is quick to assure him. “I’m not sure what Kix is up to, at the moment. Might be resting, after taking the chips out of both your head and Hardcase’s. But if you look to the bed beside you, you’ll see Hardcase right there.”</p><p>Jesse shifts, momentarily leans away from Rex, lets his gaze pan about the room. And yes— the Captain is nothing if not honest, because there on the bed next to his, is Hardcase. Curled up on his flank, looking for all the world fast asleep, a bacta patch on the side of his head. Relief floods into his veins, at seeing his brother <em>safe</em>, at the knowledge that Kix is <em>also safe</em>. He sags against Rex, and finally, the floodgates open.</p><p>At last, at last, he is<em> free</em>, and his brothers are with him.</p>
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